AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages Sainte-Cécile
The first Named Village was minted in 1967. The rules were a little different back then. Originally, a whole village and all of its surrounding land might be included in the appellation, but today, a specific vine-growing terroir is what marks out the boundaries. That’s certainly the case with Sainte-Cécile, one of the newest of the 22 Named Villages, officially recognized in 2016.
Rather than simply encompassing the vineyards of the village of Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes, the denomination of Sainte-Cécile includes vineyards from five adjacent villages in the heart of the Côtes du Rhône: Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes, Sérignan-du-Comtat, Suze-la-Rousse, Travaillan and Tulette.
The southern part (known as the garrigue), is a large flat alluvial terrace, with brown marl sandwiched between the sandstone beneath and plentiful alluvial pebbles above. The northern terrace is more recently deposited, smaller in size, marginally lower in altitude, and has white marl close to the surface instead of brown.
The clay and marls gradually release any stored water, which is hugely beneficial in this sunny, dry, drought-prone terroir. Grenache and Syrah grow well here, and winemakers plant plentiful Mourvèdre, which adds substance and complexity to the blend.
The result is deep, smooth red wines from this grapevine paradise.
Informations
Climate: Mediterranean under strong influence of the Mistral
Soils: Limestone / Clay
Website appellation: https://sainte-cecile.com/
Key figures
Production surface area in 2023: 364 HA
Total production in 2023: 12 583 HL
Average annual yeld: 35 HL/HA
Year of recognition within the AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages: 2016
Communes: Sainte Cécile les Vignes, Sérignan du Comtat and Travaillan in the Vaucluse ; Suze la Rousse and Tulette in the Drôme
Grape varieties
Main grape varieties
- Grenache noir,
- Mourvèdre,
- Syrah
Secondary grape varieties
- Bourboulenc,
- Brun argenté (locally known as Camarèse or Vaccarèse),
- Carignan,
- Carignan blanc,
- Cinsault,
- Clairette,
- Clairette rose,
- Counoise,
- Floréal,
- Grenache blanc,
- Grenache gris,
- Marsanne,
- Muscardin,
- Piquepoul blanc,
- Piquepoul noir,
- Rolle (or Vermentino),
- Roussanne,
- Terret noir,
- Ugni blanc,
- Vidoc,
- Viognier
To know
History
In a village square in Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes stands a bronze statue of Baron Le Roy, with the dedication: “From the winegrowers of the Côtes du Rhône – with gratitude – to one of their own.”
Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarié, also known as Baron Le Roy (1890-1967), was the inspiration behind the new system of wine appellations in France. He was co-founder of INAO, the National Institute for Designations of Origin, and the French Wine Academy. He was also president of the International Office for Vine and Wine.
Climate
Mediterranean type climate with high levels of sunshine, moderated and cleansed by the Mistral wind wind.
Soils
There are two main soil types in Sainte-Cécile. To the north of the vineyards the soils are made up of silty clay with pebbles of varying sizes; to the south we find rounded limestone pebbles on sandy clay.
Geography
The vineyard area dedicated to AOC Côtes du Rhône Villages within the geographical borders of Sainte-Cécile measures 1,370 hectares and spans the five communes of Sainte Cécile les Vignes, Sérignan du Comtat and Travaillan in Vaucluse, and Suze la Rousse and Tulette in the Drôme.
Varieties and flavours
Like the other southern Côtes du Rhône vineyards, Côtes du Rhône Villages Sainte-Cécile counts Grenache as its main variety. Then come Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault.
Associated appellations
